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Local Hews Hems. Messrs Robert Arnold and Arnold Henderson were in the city from EUuupton Monday and Tuesday. Mrs. Susan Moore is spending a few days with her daughter Mrs. Z. T. Buttril/. Miss Mlgnon Lunquest has return ed. from Hampton and Brooks Station. Miss Orion Arnold and Master Da- Yhl Arnold, who have been spending a few days with their aunt Mrs.F. Z. Curry have gone to their home in Hampton. Mrs. C. R. Gresham is spending the week at Indian Springs. FOR SALE:- 80 acres of improved land. 2 horse farm open. Call at this office. Joe Jaylor Pittman is at home from Effcerson Ga. Miss Fzra Morrison is visiting frteads in Forsyth. Mr. and Mrs. R. P. Sasnett and Children went to Atlanta Thursday to visit relatives. Mr. J. S. Farrar spent Sunday with his wife and children at the home of Mr. George Gil more. Messrs Boyd and Walter McMich ael have returned from Jamestown and Eastern points. Miss Dollie Mcivibben is visiting friends in Monticello and Eatonton. | Miss Ruth Jinks and Daisy Gray left Tuesday for the Jamestown Ex position. Miss Alice Mae Hunes has been se rietsly ill for the last few days. Mrs. J. T. Autrey has returned from a delightful visit to Atlanta. Col. Ernest Watkins visited Stock bridge and Locust Grcve Tuesday. Mrs. .1. M. Crawford. Miss Annie Crawfora and Mrs. Tom Atkinson are sp* tiding the week at the Springs. Miss Willie Mae Carswell, of Coch ran is the guest of Mrs. vV. J. Wood. Miss Annie Lou McCord left Wed * needay for the Jamestown Exposition Mrs. Mote Watts and little daugh ter Martha left Saturday to join I)r. Watts at Wrightsville beach. Misses Pauline Mallet, Lucile Elder and Adella Nutt accompanied Mrs. Watts arid will remain at that delightful re sort for two weeks. Miss Bessie Ham has returned tram Onancock Va. Mrs. Hollingsworth SDent Saturday in Atlanta. The many Jackson friends of Mr. 'VVi lie McDowell will regret to learn of his untimely death at his home iu Monticello, July 18th. Miss Alice Newton has returned to her home in Forsyth. Mrs. L 1\ Lester, of Macon is the guest of her brother Mr. J. H. Car michael. Col. O. M. Duko of Flovilla spent Tuesday in the Gate City. Mr. R. S. Brown went to Atlanta W ecinesday. Mr. J. M. Trapp from ludian Spring camp Ground saw the games ol Base Ball at Ponce De Leon Tues. and Wednesday. The present hot weather is hard on the unmade corn but good for the cotton, in many places the thermom eter stood 100 in the shade Monday. ]>r. Butner spent the latter part of the week at Powder Springs with his father who is very sick. Hon. S. H. Hays was down from I Atlanta Saturday and Sunday. I Mr. i> w Rutledge of Dctbich 1.a., came Friday of last week to visit friends and relatives in Butts and Henry Cos. Dr. Butner was again called to the bedside of his lather Tuesday night. Anew accession to the family of Mr. J, S. Johnson. Anew hoy. An eruption of Mount Pelee oeurr •d on Ist Street recently. No dam age done, only the ladies in the neighborhood badly frightened. It is superfluous to add that uo case wsa made. THREE SHORT STORIES FOR LEISURE MOMENTS READING. Strange Duel Between General Hunkins and Colonel Reckling. [Original.] Among the generals of the civil war there were those who had received a military education and those who won their promotion, from a natural fitness for command and politicians. General liunkins belonged to the latter class. From his point of view the war was a sort of preliminary political contest among certain men as to which should eventually return to their homes with sufficient eclat to be nominated for some fat office. Having during the early formation of the army been as signed the command of a division, he first turned his attention to keeping in due subjection all inferiors who might dim Ids own luster by distinguishing themselves. The man he most dreaded was young Colonel Reckling, who had entered the army from civil life, but a restless, pushing, dashing fellow and a born soldier. Two armies were confronting each other. liunkins’ division was on the right, Colonel Reckling's brigade on the extreme tip. The enemy resolved to turn the Union right Hank and hurled a whole division against Reckling’s bri gade. Reckling held his position long enough for liunkins to send him re-en forcements, but liunkins did nothing •f the kind. He watched the fighting from an eminence and saw the rem nant of Reckling’s brigade driven like dust before a hurricane. The Union army fell back to a stronger position. When quiet was restored Hunkins rode up to Reckling and reprimanded him for not holding his position, implying cowardice. There is no redress in the ar my against such an imputation by a superior officer, certainly not in face of an enemy. One morning shortly after daylight Colonel Reckling rode up to Ids commander’s headquarters and, rousing the general, said: “I think the enemy is meditating an Important move. If you will ride out with me to the picket line I'll show you what I mean.” Hankins proposed to send his chief of staff, but Reckling insisted that he should sis* for himself. So the gen eral called his escort, and the two offi cers rode to the picket line. “We must go farther,” said Reckling. “I would suggest that the escort re main here so as not to draw the tire.” “But”— said the general, showing ex treme reluctance to go on. "General!” exclaimed Reckling in feigned surprise. The general dare not refuse with twenty cavalrymen looking on. Fie rode with his inferior a few hundred yards to a low fence, over which Refil ling Jumped Ids horse. Hunkins, know ing the eyes of the escort were upon him, dare not refuse to follow. lie was about to protest against this ap proach to the enemy’s rifles as unnec essary exposure when he noticed a curl on Reckling’s lip. lie saw the latter’s design, hut he must either follow 7 or lose that respect of his men which was necessary to command. Trembling, he rode on. A minie bullet sang between the two men. The general ducked. An other and another. The colonel push ed on, the general a few paces behind him. More straggling shots. “1 see no change in the situation,” said the general. “Let us go back." “Not here," said Reckling; “not here. Farther to their left. I think they are massing a force on our right. Just as they did the other clay. They can’t get at us on our left for the river and the hill where we have thrown up the earthworks.” “But we arc not going to our rliflit. We’re going straight toward their right center.” “We’ll turn presently.” “llow much farther have we to >?’’ asked the general in a few moments. "We must ride along in front of their line till we reach that wood on our left.” Tlii' general shuddered. Riding in front of their line meant certain death. “This is suicide.” he’protostcd. ■Vome oil," said the colonel. I hitting spurs to ills horse. Reckling startixl straight toward the enemy’s lines. At the same moment a storm of bullets whistled by the two men. Hun kins could not stand the test. He turned and rode back as fast ns his horse could carry him. Bravery wins respect even from an enemy. The Confederates, wondering, watched Reckling coming. Presently he turned and rode slowly along the front of their line. Not a shot was fired. It was an eighth of a mile to cover, ami as the soldier passed ever the distance and entered the wood a cheer went up from the Union soldiers and the Confederates, who were too admiring to shoot so gallant a man. When the general joined his escort he knew that his military career had ended. But his aptitude for a different, saved him in that field. He sent h-^. ,, i.oue_oLhis_ henchmen, wlgj was 1 AN OLD TIME GAMBLING EPISODE. [Original.] When I was a little chap living in Cincinnati I was delicate. We had relatives in New Orleans, and at one time l was sent down there for my health. The only route was by the Ohio and Mississippi rivers, and I made the trip in one of the big steam ers of that day. The main feature that I remember was seeing men sit ting in the cabin playing cards, with beautifully colored chips. Why they used the chips I was too young to un derstand. In this connection I also re call their leaving the tables occasional ly to go to a little box about the size of a “Punch and Judy” show, placed forward in the cabin, where they drunk drinks of (to me) beautiful col ors. The Mississippi was one vast gam bling resort from Cairo to New Or leans. There were fitted up for the purpose that floated slowly down the river, tying up at any point where there were people to be fleeced, and wherever there were planters there were victims. One afternoon one of these flatboats descending with the cur rent was seen from the shore not far below Memphis to be turning in to shore. The only power aboard was in the arms of men and a couple of long sweeps or ours on either side. Those on the starboard side flashed in the sunlight, while the tiller oar left a rip ple astern. The boat in this way was brought aslioro. and a hawser was got out and tied to a stump upon the river bank. That night Julian Maran, a young planter, stepped aboard the boat and, with one or two of his friends who wore already there, opened the game. Maran had sold his plantation and ne groes and was going to Baton Rouge to marry Ids sweetheart and take up his residence there. The money he had re ceived was in bank except a hundred dollars, with which he proposed to amuse himself on the flatboat. He added considerably to his hundred dol lars during the evening and. being a chivalrous fellow, considered himself bound to go hack the next day and give the hank a chance for “revenge.” In a few days the fortune he had in hank was every cent transferred to the safe in the flatboat. That was a curious age. If there are chivalrous professional gamblers now, we hear nothing of them. There were chivalrous gamblers then, and they made their Influence felt. Perhaps It was because gambling had not then been left so far behind other means of making a living as it Is now. The gambling propensity has developed into more legitimate forms. Be this as it may, as Maran was parting with the remnant of his fortune, Gustavus Ster ling, a professional gambler, who had once been a respectable planter, hoard ed the flatboat. He had left “the pro fession” and with his winnings had bought Maran’s plantation. When Ma ran had parted with his last dollar. Sterling walked up on to the river hank with him. “Permit me to say, sub,” he said to Maran, “that I have seen many fools in my life, and yo’ ar’ one of the big gest. Even when a gambler plays fai’ the advantage Is with him. The men on this boat are of the lowest kind of swindlers.” Maran, maddened, was about to re tort angrily, when Sterling pulled a roll of bills from his pocket and con tinued: “Yo’ go down tha’ tonight with this and start In again. Don’t play to win. Play only to be in the game. I’ll be tha’, and take a hand myself. Have a gun in yo’ pocket, suli.” Maran tried to express his gratitude, but Sterling turned away and went to seek a few of the former’s friends. That evening Maran, Sterling and two others whom Sterling had asked to be (Sbesent opened the game on the flat boat. The owner of the outfit and two assistants were of the party, making seven in all. They had played an hour or "■* when e I;>ck T \'i* was opened. y 'TVlug On his sVaVf. with instructions to write up the general’s remarkable service in the army and create a de mand among the people that he return and run for congress. The henchman played his part well, and just as the singular duel between Hunkins and Reckling came to the ears of the gen eral commanding the army corps in which the duelists served Hunkins for warded his resignation. It was ac cepted, and Hunkins returned to the field for which he was best fitted and made an eminently successful cam paign. Reckling was made a brigadier gen eral and placed iu command of the di vision. He was soon promoted for gal lantry to a higher rank and command. He ended his career, not in a political campaign, but supporting old “Pop” Thomas on the field of Cbickamanga. FRANK P. CUEXUr. What Came of a Kiss. [Original.] August had come. The musical sea son was at its height. The grasshop per chirped all the morning, the locust sang in the afternoon, while the tree toad was preparing for an engagement evenings. Within the drooping boughs of a cop per beech hung a hammock, and In the hammock lay a girl. There was not a bit of color In her attire, from the lace about her neck to her white shoes. She had promised him a game, but it was very hot, and instead of going on to the grounds her steps had been deflected to the hammock. What’s that triangulating on the tennis court? White trousers like a pair of dividers give an appearance of triangulation. The owner of the trousers is lazily dancing a tennis ball on a racket. He wonders why ska doesn’t come. Presently he strolls to ward the house to look for her. He doesn't find her on the porch, so he en ters the hall and calls to her. No an swer. He returns to the porch and stands looking out at anything, every thing, nothing. Then he catches sight of something white moving under the branches of the copper beech. He tri angulates there, moving with more animation than before, and, lifting a bough, looks under the green roof. She sleeps. Intent on the lovely sight be fore him, it doesn’t occur to him that the vibrations bad stopped rather sud denly. So still is she that life is evi dent only by the rising and falling of her bosom. The mouth is in an admira ble position to be kissed, the head thrown back and partly over the ham mock’s side. The birds above sing love songs to one another; the Insects on the lawn give a fantasia in the same strain. The man—well, the man stoops and kisses the girl. She does not awaken, and he kisses her again. Thrice he kisses her, and the third time she moves. Then after a bit she opens her eyes and blinks at him. “Why, where did you come from?” “From the tennis court, where you were to have Joined me.” “It's too hot for tennis.” “I think so too. Much pleasanter here. I might have won a pair of gloves.” "You wouldn’t do that.” “Why?” “Because you are a gentleman.” “Would you never have forgiven me?” "Never—that is, unless we had been engaged.” He thought a moment, then said, “There was no temptation under the circumstances” — “No temptation! How complimen tary !” L v mean that knowing I would incur u'T iTie pnV oh ‘file table grew enor mously. Suddenly Sterling clapped one hand down on the money and whipped out a gun with the other. At the same moment Maran and his two friends drew their and cov ered the three professionals. The coup was effected so quickly that not one of the latter was able to draw. “Put yo’ arms on the table,” ordered Sterling, raking ofT the money into his hat. Then, setting the hat on a chair, he went to the owner of the bopt and began to search him. “H-tu!” he remarked, drawing sev eral aces held by a clasp attached to a rubber cord in his sleeve. “A cheap device, but good enough to fool asses with.” Then, going to the next man. he took a pack of cards from his pock et, held them up to the light and continued: “Marks big enough to see in the dark. All the court cards are plain on the back as on the face.” After goiug through the three men and finding evidence of fraud ou all. he politely asked the owner for the key of the safe. The man, having a pistol muzzle within a few inches of his ear, complied. Sterling opened the safe and counted out an amount equal to Maran’s losses and handed it to him. Then he paid what losses the others had made from the money in the hat. He was himself a winner, and this amount he took from his pock et and tossed it on the table. When the party left the boat they cut the cable, and it floated down with the current. Its profits and losses at its last landing place had been nil. Maran left the next day for Baton Rouge and was married soon after his arrival. Had it not been for Sterling's interference he might have become a professional gambler himself. GEORGE DISNEY MILLS. Why Safety Matches Strike WCiliVtf. There are two reasons why ordinary matches can be struck on smooth glata. The head of the safety match is composed of a mixture of sulphide of awrtimony, chlorate of potassium and powdered glass. A comparatively small increase of temperature will catt#e this to ignite. Now. glass Is a bad conductor of heat, and the rapid passage of the substance over it raises the temperature of that substance suffi cieafctly for that purpose. When the glata Is rough the friction crumbles away the loosely combined mixture before the temperature rises to the ignition; hence, given the com position of the match head, the two circumstances which answer the ques tion are the comparative smoothness of Hie glass and its imperfect conduc tivity of heat. The Tallest Men of Europe. The tallest men of Europe are found in Catalonia, Normandy, Yorkshire and the A>dennes district of Belgium. Prus sia gets her tallest recruits from Sles wisk-llolsteiu, the original home of the Anglo-Saxons; Austria from the Tyro lese highlands. In Italy the progress of physical degeneration has extended to the upper Apennines, but the Alba nian Turks are still an athletic race, and the natives of the Caucasus are as suwfcMr and gauut as in the days of the argonauts. Masters of the World. Simple words, short maxims, homely truths, oid sayings, are the masters of th# werlfl. Great reformations, great revsriutions in society, great eras in hu man progress and improvement, start from good words, right words, sound wetai, spoken in the fitting time, and finKteg their way to human hearts as easily as the birds find their homes. — D. March. ______________ • The Landlady’s View. “They say a carrier pigeon will go farther than any other bird,” said the boaader between bites. “Well, I’ll have to try one,” said the landlady. “I notice a fowl doesn’t go far.” Literary Item. "They say very few authors sleep mere than seven hours a day.” “But think how much slumber they fuitash other people.” Soft. Oiaolly I wish that I could find something to absorb my mind. Molly —Have you thought of trying blotting PUD-er?, yo*f ’ displeasure' if T kiSsfecT yoii I wouldn’t think of doing so.” “Oh!” He was sitting on a wicker chair be side her hammering the ground with his racket absently. “What are you thinking about?” she asked. “I once kissed a girl in a hammock,” he said, “and I wasn’t engaged to her either. She was asleep, just as you were. I kissed her three times, and the third time she awoke. She knew very well I’d kissed her.” “What did she do?” “She didn’t do anything.” “And what did you do?” “I didn’t do anything either at the time. But that evening it was moon light. She went to sleep on the wicker lounge on the porch—and—well, I kiss ed her again.” It was now her turn to do the think ing. ”1 suppose,” she said presently, “that so long as you had kissed her once be fore”— “Three times.” “It didn’t make so much difference about the fourth kiss—that is, from you—and since she was asleep it wasn't her fault anyway.” “If you should go to sleep on the wicker lounge on the porch tonight and I should kiss you, you wouldn’t be to blame, would you?” “Certainly not. But you?” “Oh, maybe I’d be to blame, but since you didn't know anything about it there wouldn’t be any harm done.” “I don’t know about that.” ******* The moon shone down on a corner of the porch covered with wistaria, or, rather, the moon shone on the wistaria while the corner was in deep shadow. This distinction may seem trivial, but it is not in this case, for on a wicker lounge in the corner a girl lay asleep. True, one tiny ray struggling through the vine touched her lips. He was sit ting beside her. This time he was in the hammock. “Asleep?” he asked in a low tone. There was no reply. He bent forward and kissed her. She awoke. “I believe you kissed me,” she said. “I cUd not A ray of moonlight was. kissing you right on the lips’. I kissed. l the spy.” “Oh, in that case”— “It ’Kuisn’t so bad, was it?” “I suppose so.” But she looked trou bled. “Well, since you seem to have some doubt about it you might make it all right by marrying me.” And she did. F. A. MITCHEL. j